Welcoming cities are prepared to respond to threats of militarization 

Last Friday, the Trump administration threatened increased, militarized raids by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) in sanctuary cities, including Chicago. We have seen similar attacks before. We're encouraging communities to empower themselves by knowing their rights and being prepared. See NIJC's response and guidance for communities.

Communities rally to free transgender asylum seeker

Kelly is a young transgender asylum seeker who has languished in immigration jail for two-and-a-half years, longer than any transgender woman in ICE custody right now. The community in Denver (near where she's detained) and in San Francisco (where her sponsors live) held rallies and press conferences demanding that ICE #FreeKelly immediately. Watch the Denver event.

IN THE NEWS: Check out the in-depth piece by Boulder Weekly about transgender asylum seekers, including Kelly, suffering in unnecessary and prolonged immigration detention.

TAKE ACTION: Sign the petition to ICE to #FreeKelly now!

Muslim Ban expansion based on cruelty and racism

The Trump administration has expanded the Muslim ban to several more African and Muslim-majority countries. NIJC Executive Director Mary Meg McCarthy said, "Keeping families separated and blocking people from immigrating to the United States based solely on their nationality serves no interest other than the president’s desire to distract Americans and further ingrain Islamophobia and xenophobia in U.S. policy.” See NIJC's statement condemning the exapanded Muslim Ban.

FAQ: How and why we must decriminalize migration

The U.S. has federal laws that criminalize immigrants and the very act of migrating. We explain what decriminalizing migration means and why it is so important for our country and communities. Check out the FAQ about decriminalizing migration.

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Federal budget funnels billions into detention and deportation 

Over the past four years, including in the just-issued budget proposal for Fiscal Year 2021, the Trump administration has requested a cumulative total of $36.4 billion for ICE and $72.1 billion for CBP on top of billions of dollars in additional funding they have taken from other agencies and programs. These taxpayer dollars translate into family separation, mass incarceration, and degradation of thriving communities nationwide. See our statement with the Defund Hate Coalition.

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Volunteer profile: Attorney Peter Cheun

Nearly 2,000 pro bono attorneys volunteer to represent immigrants who need legal assistance through NIJC. One of these exceptional people is Peter Cheun, an attorney with Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP, who recently spoke to NIJC about his volunteer work: "You talk to people who are applying for adjustment, and you hear stories about new jobs, and kids going to school, meeting new friends, joining groups, maybe even a new boyfriend or girlfriend... We all work really hard on our immigration cases, and we do it not just to win a case but to win a new life for our clients.” Read Peter's story.

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Upcoming event - Justice & Java: Reports from Chicagoland and Indiana

Thursday, February 27, 2020
8:00 a.m. - 9:00 a.m. CT
Dentons- Chicago (in the Willis Tower), 233 S Wacker Dr #5900, Chicago, IL 60606
Sign up to attend!

Do you want to know how the immigration policies you hear about on the news are affecting your own community? Join us for breakfast on February 27 for an update about what is happening on-the-ground in communities in Chicagoland and Indiana amid attacks on immigrants and continuous fear-mongering. We'll talk about how legal and community organizations are responding, and what you can do to help.

If you can't attend in person, please sign up for the event and we'll send you details to participate via webinar.